I recently published this concept imagining what Windows 9 alias Threshold might look and work like. Since then, much new info has been leaked, but I think the concept still holds up to all expectations and leaks.

The idea is that Microsoft should ditch the two-interface thing and instead create two very similar interfaces, one for mouse and one optimized for touch interactions. This concept only deals with the latter one, while changes to the traditional desktop are not part of the article. Nevertheless, I want to emphasize that the GUI in the concept is only intended for touch interactions, and that the desktop would definitely stay.

From the few feedback that I received up to now, the first impression is apparently rather negative, with especially the design and appearance of the interface being criticized. What I think is the core of this concept, however, is not the design, but the different mechanics and the way that the whole interface would work. I tried to make everything as clear as possible through the different pictures and mock-ups in the article. Also, I guess it would probably look significantly better in reality, outside of static pictures.

All in all, I think this UI could do a pretty good job at bringing the tablet experience much more close to the PC, and thus it would also yet again highlight Windows even more in between a tablet market currently dominated by Android and Apple devices.

What do you think about this concept? While Microsoft seems to be putting more focus on the desktop again with Windows 9, what might happen with tablets? Do you think the current basic navigation schemes, such as Charms and the Start Screen would at least stay for touch devices, or do you think Microsoft will start completely anew on tablets?

What do you think about this concept? While Microsoft seems to be putting more focus on the desktop again with Windows 9, what might happen with tablets? Do you think the current basic navigation schemes, such as Charms and the Start Screen would at least stay for touch devices, or do you think Microsoft will start completely anew on tablets?

I like where Microsoft is going, though it may still be flawed, better. They are taking the best of the Modern UI and integrating with the desktop in a way that makes sense and enhances desktop computing. While adapting to mobile devices with the full Modern UI experience.

What you are suggesting appears to be to do tablet computing on the desktop, which won't work, and it part of the reason Windows 8 hasn't been all that popular on the desktop. A windows that adapts to the platform it is installed on is the best solution and seems to be where MS is headed.

Desktop computing isn't going away, even if you remove the Start Menu, and neither are mobile devices.

What you are suggesting appears to be to do tablet computing on the desktop, which won't work, and it part of the reason Windows 8 hasn't been all that popular on the desktop. A windows that adapts to the platform it is installed on is the best solution and seems to be where MS is headed.

Desktop computing isn't going away, even if you remove the Start Menu, and neither are mobile devices.

I'm actually a bit confused now. What I wrote seems to be the entire opposite of what you understood. For instance, read the last sentence of the second paragraph of my post:

Nevertheless, I want to emphasize that the GUI in the concept is only intended for touch interactions, and that the desktop would definitely stay.

My whole concept only focuses on tablet computing. On PCs and laptops, however, the desktop should definitely stay the primary interface. I also dealt with this within this picture: bit.ly/1oWPDJi

I'm actually a bit confused now. What I wrote seems to be the entire opposite of what you understood. For instance, read the last sentence of the second paragraph of my post:

I did read that. I guess I don't think touch desktop computing is significant enough to make the modern UI prominent on the desktop. That's what's prompting the reimagining by Microsoft.

I suppose in those instances being able to turn on the full Modern UI on a desktop would be available. I guess I should look at your concept as a general replacement or improvement on Modern UI wherever it is appropriate. In that case, I do think it's a little busy. While full screen apps is a little too restrictive, for I do think fewer windows in a touch environment is more productive.

I would do the "tap and hold" version of moving apps because this would easily be applicable to both a touch interface and the usage of a mouse. I really like the "color of the app and the icon in the center" idea for selecting apps regardless.

* Tap And Hold on the screen to move an app.

* Click And Hold the app with the left mouse button to move it around the screen.

it looks a lot like the windows 8 UI in respects. If the new windows would stay the same way, that would be great. The reason I like the desktop UI is MSFT built it to set itself apart from other OSes.

with windows 8/8.1, MSFT seems to be trying to find that same solid ground but hit snags with two markets, tablets and desktop users. I'm not into bleeding edge tech anymore as I'm simply too old to really care. But I like familiarity. I like to use something that I'm familiar with. I'm still into gaming which probably won't leave me however, tablets are good for portability computing. Nothing wrong with having a laptop at home for power use and a tablet for on the go use, then sync my two systems when I get home.

my comment about familiarity leans toward branding. businesses like to set themselves apart with a product that, For years MSFT's desktop UI was distinguishing to the market. people knew MSFT because both Windows x.x and later through win7 and old NT's look were similar for a reason.

MS should have a "hover" feature over their products. What I mean by that is this; Right click on Excel (App is closed) and let the mouse hover over it, and then you get a preview of the last 5-10 things you did in Excel (including a time stamp of when the document was last edited)

Nice concepts. Though, I think the absence of the taskbar and start menu would be just as confusing for the average user as the start screen.

MS should have a "hover" feature over their products. What I mean by that is this; Right click on Excel (App is closed) and let the mouse hover over it, and then you get a preview of the last 5-10 things you did in Excel (including a time stamp of when the document was last edited)

You can see recent docs by right clicking on the Excel icon in the task bar.

While full screen apps is a little too restrictive, for I do think fewer windows in a touch environment is more productive.

I think the greatest aspect of this concept UI is it's ability to adapt to different using cases. You could for example actually also use it mostly like Windows 8 - with full screen or side by side apps (bit.ly/U9CfGr). But you could as well go for more unconventional using cases, as for example to watch a video while chatting with different people on different platforms (bit.ly/1rgu89U). I think this power to adapt is very similar to the traditional desktop on the PC.

Nice concepts. Though, I think the absence of the taskbar and start menu would be just as confusing for the average user as the start screen.

While consumers might already be very used to those established basics on the PC, you should keep in mind that this whole concept UI is only intended for tablets - a device class that is currently dominated by full screen only apps. Microsoft has the chance to create an as distinct navigation and using scheme for tablets as it once created with the Windows desktop for the PC.

(The traditional desktop does all in all consist of only 1 interface. The modern UI with it's charms consists of at least 4-5 different interfaces. The Windows 9 concept UI, however, consists of only 2 interfaces: the desktop and the Start Screen. And considering how deeply Start Screen and Touch Desktop are integrated, it's basically also only one big area that the user is interacting with. It should actually be simpler than the modern UI. Only because it's different from all current approaches, it becomes harder to understand. But once an user really has understood the new interface, it opens for an unbeatable experience!)

While consumers might already be very used to those established basics on the PC, you should keep in mind that this whole concept UI is only intended for tablets - a device class that is currently dominated by full screen only apps. Microsoft has the chance to create an as distinct navigation and using scheme for tablets as it once created with the Windows desktop for the PC.

(The traditional desktop does all in all consist of only 1 interface. The modern UI with it's charms consists of at least 4-5 different interfaces. The Windows 9 concept UI, however, consists of only 2 interfaces: the desktop and the Start Screen. And considering how deeply Start Screen and Touch Desktop are integrated, it's basically also only one big area that the user is interacting with. It should actually be simpler than the modern UI. Only because it's different from all current approaches, it becomes harder to understand. But once an user really has understood the new interface, it opens for an unbeatable experience!)

I like your ideas but you got something wrong: I WANT a one-size-fits-all approach for PC and tablets.

It doesn't mean that everything should be compromised to work with both form-factors, it means that we should have one unique UI and as much ways to use it that we need.

Take Office 2013 or IE 11 on the desktop. Their UI adapt whether you use a finger or the mouse. It's not much, mainly drop down menus that are bigger when you clicked with touch. It you could integrate that at a OS level, you win.

I want a unique IE app, not one for desktop and one for touch. I want a unique Office app (in that respect I hope than Gemini is fully featured and replaces Office 2013 altogether). I want a unique Skype app.

I could see myself use only the metro versions if they reach feature parity, once they solve the taskbar problem and let us use windowed apps (or something similiar). And guess what, both are coming to Threshold.

I don't want the desktop to disappear, I want to keep it, and make it touch friendly with all those metro apps that are going to be used in it. What's the problem with the desktop with touch, besides the desktop apps ? If you add some touch gestures or whatever to manage efficiently your apps (let's say, what you're proposing, looks great), you just need a new file explorer and you're set.

I'm pretty sure that's the direction Microsoft is headed, and according to the leaks all of this (maybe not in a completed form) is coming to Threshold.

But please, stop trying to distinguish tablet interface and PC interface, THEY ARE (and must be) THE SAME. Why the hell bother make a unique OS then, and why bother making convertibles?

I like your ideas but you got something wrong: I WANT a one-size-fits-all approach for PC and tablets.

Microsoft's approach shouldn't be "one interface fits all", but rather "one app fits all" while the interface adapts to the device to offer the best way to work with the app.

I don't want the desktop to disappear, I want to keep it, and make it touch friendly with all those metro apps that are going to be used in it. What's the problem with the desktop with touch, besides the desktop apps ? If you add some touch gestures or whatever to manage efficiently your apps (let's say, what you're proposing, looks great), you just need a new file explorer and you're set.

If you like so, you could also see this concept UI as a touch-optimized version of the desktop. The main problem with the traditional desktop on tablets seems to be sizing, positioning and closing/minimizing windows. Of course you could make small adjustments to the desktop for tablets, such as a bigger frame around a window, but I think the interface in this concept could work much better for touch input since it was specifically made for tablets. An aspect where this gets clear is for example that you can only resize windows after having interacted with the Start Bar, which prevents the user from accidentally making changes.

But please, stop trying to distinguish tablet interface and PC interface, THEY ARE (and must be) THE SAME. Why the hell bother make a unique OS then, and why bother making convertibles?

I think even Microsoft has understood that they cannot make one single UI for tablets and for PCs/laptops. That's why the Start Menu comes back, and that's why the desktop will play a bigger role again within Windows 9. Nevertheless, one unique Operating System, as well as convertibles would still make sense even though they would contain two different interfaces. Convertibles would still replace a second device, you could still continue what you were doing after plugging a keyboard in, and there could still be tablets that are as powerful as PCs. Convertibles are all about one device fitting for very different situations, and not about only one UI fitting for all those situations. Special adaptions for the different using cases would only make convertibles even more powerful.